Back to School Basics: Top Five Beauty Products

Top Five Beauty Products

to make your school days easier

Every September I'm reminded that I don't have an hour to spend showering, doing my hair, figuring out what I want to wear and doing my makeup. Back to school shopping is so much fun, and why not include some beauty basics to make your morning routines just a little bit easier?!

1. Skin: A cleanser, toner, moisturizer set

During the summer it's easy to test out different cleansers and moisturizers and serums and sprays for your face, and if you breakout or if the products don't work for you, you can just move on to something else. For school, however, I like to know that what I'm putting on my face is going to leave my skin clear, controlled and beautiful with or without makeup, just incase I'm running late and don't have time for foundation or concealer. Find a good skincare set, like Proactiv's Renewing Cleanser, Revitalizing Toner and Repairing Treatment Moisturizer, or my personal favorite if you want something cheap and simple, Boot's Expert Sensitive Line's Gentle Cleansing Wash, Gentle Refreshing Toner, and Hydrating Moisturizer available at Target. Whether it's Clinique or a Drugstore favorite, find the three products that get you from the bathroom sink to beautiful skin and out the door faster.

Boot's Skincare Products mentioned above and Benefit's Skincare Products:
Total Moisture Facial Cream, Triple Performing Facial Emulsion and Refined Finished Facial Polish 

2. Face: Tinted Moisturizer or BB Cream

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to figure out whether you have time to do a full face of makeup or if mascara and lipgloss are just going to have to do. I find that tinted moisturizers, and now the fabulously famed bb creams, save the morning routine with a quick solution to covering up breakouts and evening skin tone. Concealer might always be necessary, but with tinted moisturizer or bb creams you don't need to fuss with brushes. Just a dime or quarter amount on your hand of product, apply dots to your nose, cheeks, chin and forehead, and then spread them out and around away from the center of your face, the way you would apply moisturizer. I recommend Dr. Jart + Water Fuse BB Beauty Balm with SPF 25, or if you want a less expensive option I am currently obsessed with my Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream. I also recommend Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer with spf 20, or Benefit's Some Kind-a Gorgeous Foundation Faker for a quick and easy morning routine.

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream, Benefit's Some Kind-a Gorgeous,
Dr. Jart + Water Fuse BB Cream, and Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

3. Eyes: Mascara

If you have zero time to mess around with brushes and liners and eyeshadows, the easiest way to make your eyes pop is mascara. I would never leave the house without it on, and I instantly feel more confident, not to mention I feel like I at least tried this morning! I don't recommend a super black or thick formula for dramatic eyes for the day, and especially not for school or work. My go to mascaras for my day time makeup or daily routines always include brown, brown/black colors or thinner formulated black shades that elongate rather than excessively volumize. My favorites for everyday are Benefit's Bad Gal Brown, Covergirl's LashBlast Fusion Water Resistant in Brown/Black and Maybelline's the Falsies Volum'Express in Brownish Black. I really recommend water proof or water resistant formulas for all day wear.

Benefit's Bad Gal Brown, Covergirl's LashBlast Fusion and Maybelline's The Falsies

4. Lips: Tinted Lip Balms

If you don't have the time to go the whole balm-liner-lipstick-lipgloss route, may I suggest a tinted Lip Balm? I love my lipsticks, but not all of them are moisturizing, I know that when I'm running between classes I don't want to lose the color on my lips, but I do need a quick fix of moisture. My all time favorites are Revlon Lip Butters in Strawberry Shortcake (a berry wearable pink :) and Creme Brulee for a nice nude. I also recommend Maybelline Baby Lips, which come in plenty of tints but my favorite is Fruit Punch, and Fresh Sugar Lip Balm in Honey.

Revlon Lip Butters in Strawberry Shortcake and Creme Brulee,
Fresh's Sugar in Honey, and Maybelline's Baby Lips in Fruit Punch

5. Scent: Body Sprays and Fragrance Samples

By lunchtime, it is quite possible that whatever you spritz on this morning has faded and you want to freshen up a bit. I like to leave my lighter, fruitier or more florally scents for school and use my nicer, more expensive fragrances for other occasions, and anything that fits right into your school bag is always a plus. I love my two Victoria's Secret Pink Body Sprays, and whenever I get a fragrance sample, like these two Juicy Couture, (in the original and Viva La Juicy La Fleur), it definitely makes a rotation in my bag.

Victoria's Secret Pink Soothing Body Freshening Mist with Organic Oat Extract  (possibly no longer sold?), Victoria's Secret Pink Body Mist in Wild and Breezy, samples of Viva La Juicy in La Fleur and the original Juicy Couture fragrance 

Hope you all have fun back to school shopping, and if you're already at school I hope these quick routine changers make your mornings faster, easier and your days more beauty-ful :)  

Ciao for now, M